Controversial 60s folk legend who wrote Puff The Magic Dragon and always denied its meaning is dead at 86
Peter Yarrow, who was part of the legendary 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul, And Mary, best known for the iconic song Puff The Magic Dragon, has died at the age of 86.
The controversial musician died after battling bladder cancer for four years, his publicist confirmed.
He was the lead vocalist on the hit Puff The Magic Dragon – released in 1960 – because for years he denied that the song was about drugs, which many had believed.
Yarrow firmly denied that it was about drug use and insisted that the real meaning of the song is about the hardships of growing up.
The musician previously said the song has “never had any meaning other than the obvious” and is about the “loss of innocence in children.”
Yarrow was also embroiled in controversy when he was sentenced to three months in prison over a 1969 incident in which the 14-year-old and her 17-year-old sister went to his hotel looking for an autograph and he answered the door naked.
Peter Yarrow, who was part of the legendary 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul, And Mary, best known for the iconic song Puff The Magic Dragon, is dead at the age of 86; the trio is pictured in 1968
Peter Yarrow performing in New York in July 2014
Former President Jimmy Carter pardoned Yarrow in 1981.
The other two members of Peter, Paul, And Mary were Paul Stookey who played guitar and provided baritone vocals and Mary Travers who provided alto vocals.